According to a police press release, the nine individuals could face up to five misdemeanor and 12 felony charges for malicious mischief to include possible jail time and restitution.

Lynnwood police have taken more than 300 photos of various types of graffiti across the city over the past few months.

According to Officer T.J. Brooks, the department’s expert on gangs and graffiti, there are four types of graffiti: tagging, satanic/hate, gang and generic, non-threatening messages.

“Lynnwood mainly deals with tagging graffiti,” Brooks said, “Tagging graffiti is more ornate while gang graffiti uses symbols and sends a message to rivals."

Lynnwood police are implementing a graffiti removal program that includes investigation and arrest considerations, pro-active cleanup procedures for property owners and an educational effort to prevent it from continuing.